By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor

On the day following each regular season points race, Kickin’ the Tires takes a deep look at the current playoff grids for both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series, evaluating the postseason picture for NASCAR’s second and third tours. 

XFINITY Series

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Event: Boyd Gaming 300

Race Winner: Kyle Larson

Stage Winner(s): Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson

Who Won Big

• Christopher Bell: He didn’t get a chance to contend after an early crash at Daytona International Speedway, but in the two weeks since Bell’s quickly established himself as a championship favorite. The rookie earned his second-consecutive pole in Sin City, earned his first playoff point with a stage win and finished a strong second.
• Justin Allgaier: The Illinoisan’s quest or a third-straight Championship 4 appearance took a turn for the better in Las Vegas. Allgaier led his first laps since last fall’s race at Chicagoland Speedway and finished third to rise up to fourth in the championship standings.
• Elliott Sadler: The consistency continues. Sadler scored his third top five in as many races at Las Vegas, giving the JR Motorsports veteran a 4.0 average finish and keeping him tied with teammate Tyler Reddick atop the standings.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Ryan Reed: What appeared to be a passable day ended in a 19th-place disappointed for Reed and Roush Fenway Racing when the two-time Daytona winner suffered a late flat tire. The Californian still sits sixth in the standings after his strong start to the season, but he could stand to avoid additional crashes moving forward.
• Austin Cindric: The 2017 Camping World Truck Series Championship 4 participant hasn’t fared well in his first two races with Roush. Cindric scored a seventh-place finish with Team Penske at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but his two races with Roush have each seen him crash out early. He currently sits 19th in the standings, well outside of the current playoff grid.
• Jeremy Clements: If the first few races of 2018 are any indication, then it might take another surprise win for Clements and his humble operation to earn a second playoff berth. Clements struggled en-route to a 22nd-place result in Las Vegas, his second-straight finish outside of the top 20.

Playoff Standings: 

*Technically ineligible due to missed races. Would require a waiver to make the playoffs.

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Las Vegas Results

Season Totals

Camping World Truck Series

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Event: Stratosphere 200

Race Winner: Kyle Busch

Stage Winner(s): Noah Gragson, Stewart Friesen

Who Won Big

• Stewart Friesen: If any thought Friesen would only contend at Eldora Speedway, the Northeastern shoe proved that wrong on Friday. Friesen ran strong throughout the night and claimed an outright win in Stage 2, scoring a playoff point and rising to sixth in the championship standings with a fifth-place run.
• Noah Gragson: Late tire issues kept Gragson from bringing home the finish he wanted or felt he deserved, but the Kyle Busch Motorsports prospect did manage to win one of the race’s two stages, scoring a playoff point in the process.
• Grant Enfinger: Through three races it’s been Enfinger leading the way for ThorSport Racing. The Alabaman earned his first top five of the year at Las Vegas, rising to third in the standings and positioning himself well inside of the preliminary playoff grid heading into the Truck Series break.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Matt Crafton: Crafton’s inconsistent start to the 2018 season continued in Las Vegas. The two-time Truck Series champion completed just 40 laps before pulling out of the race for good with brake issues. The resulting 29th-place finish dropped Crafton to ninth in the standings, eight points out of the current playoff grid.
• Justin Haley: The pack racing in Friday’s 200-mile show led to one significant crash. The incident took out Haley, dropping the Hoosier to 14th on the championship table and putting him in an early hole.

Playoff Standings: 

*Technically ineligible due to missed races. Would require a waiver to make the playoffs.

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Las Vegas Results

Season Totals